


Countdown To Your Heart

by kaimchana



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, soulmate!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 07:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10509132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaimchana/pseuds/kaimchana
Summary: 000 day/s, 00 hr/s, 00 min/s, 00 sec/s.The timer had always been on people’s wrist when they were born into the earth. It is a timer for when you meet your soulmate. The thing only starts its countdown once the person turns 18.Jongin was there on the eve of Kyungsoo’s 18th birthday.Jongin was with him when the numbers appeared.Jongin had always been with him.Even when Kyungsoo finally finds his soulmate.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Smile and enjoy reading!

The music flows past his ears, the wind coming in from his window that are wide open were caressing his hair, fanned out on his pillow, jet black strands contrasting against the beige color of his sheets. Everything’s in peace. Except his heart that is now beating fast, his eyes closed and -

 

“Jongin! Jongin Jongin Jongin.”

 

The slamming of the door breaks him out of his thoughts and Jongin gets up to face his best friend. The boy is out of breath, puff of air coming out of those heart-shaped lips, a smile pulling at it, and his big doe eyes crinkling like crescents. Jongin knows why. It was today.

 

“Jongin, it’s today!” Kyungsoo walks towards him and jumps on his bed to get to him. “I’m meeting my soulmate today! 5 hours left!” He squeals, his face lighting up in delight. Jongin smiles. Or he at least tries to.

 

He settles down on his bed again, rolling his eyes at his best friend. 

 

“Yes. I know, I know. You’ve been reminding me for the past days since you’ve turned 18, hyung. How could I forget?” he asks with a teasing smile on his lips. He closes his eyes again, trying to block everything out and focusing on the thought of Kyungsoo and him together, on his bed, maybe for the last time.

 

Kyungsoo lays down next to him, looking at his wrist. 

 

_ 000 day/s, 03 hr/s, 10 min/s, 24 sec/s. It’s still counting down. _

 

“You’ll be coming with me, right?” he inquires, turning to the younger beside him. “Jongin! Don’t fall asleep on me!” Kyungsoo complains, hitting the tanned boy’s arm to wake him up. Jongin opens his eyes to glare at him and he pouts.

 

“You promised you’ll be there with me! Remember? You’ll take me away if he comes out bad.”

 

_ I’m willing to take you away even if he’s the greatest person you’ll meet.  _ Jongin wants to say but he didn’t. Instead, he turns on his side to look at Kyungsoo and gives him a soft smile.

 

“Of course, I’ll come with you. Can’t let my virgin best friend be taken advantage of on his first meeting with his soulmate, can I?” he teases and Kyungsoo blushes before attacking him with slaps on his chest.

 

“I was reserving myself for him!” The older boy counters. Saying half-lying because deep inside him, he knows he’s reserving it for someone he knows deeply.

 

Kyungsoo continues to hit his chest and kicks at his legs as Jongin laughs. The shorter stops as Jongin gets caught of his wrists, a serious expression overtaking the playfulness on his face.

 

“W-what is it?” Kyungsoo stutters, his heart suddenly beating fast at the look on Jongin’s face.

 

“Hyung,” Jongin starts, his own brown orbs finding Kyungsoo’s warm ones.

 

“Hyung what if your soulmate is a girl?” He asks and holds his laugh as Kyungsoo pouts. 

 

“W-well.. I just have to accept it, shouldn’t I?”

 

“Should I take you away, too if ever that happens?” Jongin knows Kyungsoo never had interest in girls, his best friend coming out on him when he turned 15. “I’ll tell her that I’m your boyfriend? Or that it must be a mistake?”

 

Kyungsoo looks down, clearly not seeing the joke on Jongin’s words. “W-well. I guess you could do that.”

 

“Hey, I was just messing with you. Stop looking so down.” He cups Kyungsoo’s cheeks, turning his head up to face him. A hue of pink staining the older’s face. “It’s that important to you, huh?” 

 

Kyungsoo nods and Jongin’s hearts hurts a little. No. A lot. It hurts. But Jongin also wants Kyungsoo’s happiness and if it means not being with him, then be it. He looks down at the shorter’s wrist, there were only 2 hours and 35 minutes left.

 

“Hey, hey. I should get ready. Let’s head out and meet that soulmate of yours, shall we?” He wiggles his eyebrows as he gets up, missing the warmth of Kyungsoo’s cheeks on his hand.

 

Kyungsoo is still looking at nothing. Jongin can’t determine how he’s feeling. Is he nervous? Excited? Scared?

 

“Hyung,” Jongin calls out and when Kyungsoo finally looks up at him, he kicks the boy gently and Kyungsoo falls down on his bed, glaring up at him. He returns a grin to the boy before dashing to his bathroom to dress up. 

 

_ Well, this is it.  _ He thinks as he looks at himself in the mirror, smiling.  _ Guess I can just hope for the best for him. _

  
  


“So, where do you think you’ll meet him?” Jongin inquires as they walked down the streets of Hongdae. Seeing the line of food carts is making his stomach grumble in hunger. He was eyeing the cart of ice cream when Kyungsoo answers.

 

“I don’t know. My heart tells me to be here, maybe this is where I’ll meet him.” Jongin nods, looking at Kyungsoo who is now looking anxiously down his wrist. The taller followed his vision and sees the timer.

 

_ 000 day/s, 2 hr/s, 10 min/s, 10 sec/s. _

 

The timer had always been on people’s wrist when they were born into the earth. It is a timer for when you meet your soulmate. The thing only starts its countdown once the person turns 18. 

 

He’s there during the eve of Kyungsoo’s birthday, they were hanging out on the older boy’s room, the birthday boy clearly excited to know when he’ll meet his soulmate. Kyungsoo had always been fond of the idea. His parents had already reminded him not to get his hopes up because there are cases where the person’s clock doesn’t change, just stays at zero, meaning their soulmate is gone from the world. But the older doesn’t care. He’s excited to know so they do a countdown when the clock on Kyungsoo’s bedside table turns 11:59, just a minute more before he turns 18. A minute before he’ll find out if his soulmate is alive or not, and when he will meet the said person. 

 

_ “3, 2,1! Happy Birthday, Kyungsoo-hyung!” 16-year old Jongin exclaims as he hugs his best friend. Kyungsoo smiles at him in thanks before turning his wrist. _

 

Jongin was there when it appears. A bold _424 day/s, 59 hr/s, 59 min/s, 59 sec/s._ _A year and 2 months from Kyungsoo's 18th birthday._

 

And now here they are, standing at the middle of the streets of Hongdae, waiting for Kyungsoo’s soulmate to appear. Jongin focuses his attention on the musicians playing on the street, munching on his fish cakes as he tries to ignore the way Kyungsoo keeps on looking around.

 

He was so into the way the dancer dances that he almost didn’t feel Kyungsoo tug at his hands. He looks at the boy and sees him looking down at the band on his wrist. Kyungsoo touches the band with his thumb before looking up at him.

 

“Wouldn’t you want to know when you’ll meet yours?” 

 

Jongin had put on the band on his wrist a day after Kyungsoo’s timer had shown itself. He turned 17 that day, still a year before he knows his destiny. But Jongin had always brushes off the thought of soulmates, settled on just humoring Kyungsoo since it makes the older happy. He never cared.  _ If Kyungsoo is not the one meant for him, then what’s the point?  _ He thinks.

 

“No. I want to be surprised. Maybe I’ll just bump into that person when the time comes.” He shrugs, sipping on the bubble tea on his hand. “How much time do you have left?”

 

“45 minutes. We’ve been eating here, I feel like I’m bloated. What if my soulmate is here and he saw how I was eating non-stop because I’m nervous? Or what if he asks me out to eat but I can’t because I’m too full? Oh my god, Jongin--”

 

“Hyung, calm down. You’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” Kyungsoo’s wide eyes remain the same, he’s still terrified at the thoughts coming through his head. Jongin messes with his hair before taking his hands and giving him a reassuring smile. “How about we dance with the crowd? Maybe you’ll find him there,” Jongin suggests, turning his eyes on the crowd that formed around the musicians. Some couples dancing to the music happily, smile on their faces and Jongin knows this is an important moment for Kyungsoo, but he wants to be able to have fun with his best friend,  _ and first love,  _ for the last time before giving him away to whoever his soulmate is.

 

Kyungsoo looks unsure as he turns his eyes back and forth at the crowd then to Jongin. He takes a deep breath and nods. Jongin squeezes his hands before leading him inside the crowd, his smile shining bright together with the streetlights. Kyungsoo’s heart calms and he returns Jongin a smile of his own, his laughter ringing in the cool air as Jongin twirls him round and round.

  
  
  


“Jongin, let’s stop. I’m tired,” Kyungsoo complains as Jongin keeps on swaying him on his feet, the taller’s smile not leaving his face. 

 

“How many minutes more?”

 

Kyungsoo have almost forgotten. He was having so much fun with Jongin that he forgot that he was supposed to meet his soulmate today. That he’s supposed to be feeling excited to know who the person is instead of feeling giddy and light because of the way Jongin tilts his head to the side to smile softly at him as he waits for an answer. He looks down at his wrist and his eyes widen.

 

“Jongin! Just 5 more minutes! Why is time flying so fast? What am I going to do?” he looks around them and there are quite a number of people around, considering it’s already 7 in the evening, the street buzzing with music, foods, and lights. Why Kyungsoo chose to look for his soulmate here, he doesn’t know either. He chews on his lips on worry as he stands on his tiptoes to look for someone who looks maybe as frantic as him right now. Kyungsoo nows he doesn’t look too good anymore. Sweat running down his face and his neck courtesy of his dance with Jongin.  _ Jongin. _

 

He looks up at the boy in front of him only to have their eyes lock to each other. Jongin’s face is devoid of any emotion, he’s just looking directly at Kyungsoo, like the shorter is all that he can see and Kyungsoo swallows. Suddenly feeling nervous. He doesn’t understand why.

 

“Jongin-”

  
  
  


“You’ll be fine, hyung,” Jongin whispers. He pulls out a handkerchief from the back pocket of his washed jeans, damping it on the sweats that has collected on Kyungsoo’s head and neck. He smiles at the boy, knowing that it looks wobbly and forced, but he still tried. “Let’s go look for your soulmate, shall we?”

 

“B-but how?” Kyungsoo asks, his anxiousness catching up to him. He looks down at his wrist. “T-there are too many people.”

 

_ 000 day/s, 00 hr/s, 02 min/s, 30 sec/s. _

 

“Hey, you’re the one who told me that a person will meet their soulmate eventually because it is fate, right? You’ll find yours. Don’t worry too much. Come on.” Jongin tugs at his hands and tries to find their way out of the crowd. Kyungsoo looks like he’ll pass out because of his emotions and lack of air. He looks around to look for a place that is not crowded and tugs on Kyungsoo’s wrist when he founds the space beside the ice cream cart empty. It’s hot. He definitely needs an ice cream right now. He looks back at Kyungsoo to smile at him when he bumps into someone and got his arm stick for a moment.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he bows in apology to whoever he bumped into and continued walking. Just a few more steps.

 

They stop just beside the trucks and Jongin lets go of the shorter’s wrist as he fans himself. Kyungsoo stayed quiet beside him. It was odd. Shouldn’t his best friend be talking his ears off because it’s almost time, right? He looks at the line forming at the ice cream truck and decides that he’ll get an ice cream later once he sends Kyungsoo off to his soulmate.

 

Jongin finally looks at Kyungsoo when he can’t bear the silence the older is giving him anymore. Maybe Kyungsoo had already seen his soulmate and is speechless? “Kyungsoo, are you--”

 

What greets Jongin’s eyes is Kyungsoo looking down at his wrist again. “J-Jongin, you’re wrist. Your b-band must have fallen off when we push our w-way out of the crowd,” Kyungsoo stutters, his voice shaky and Jongin doesn’t understand why. He shrugs and puts his right hand on his pocket to hide it. Little did he know, Kyungsoo had already seen it.

 

“I’ll just put another one when I get home later, I guess,” he says nonchalantly. He gasps loudly when Kyungsoo throws a punch on his arm.

 

“Look at your wrist.”

 

“Kyungsoo, I told you. I want to be surprised. Wait, don’t tell me. You saw it? Please do--”

 

“You fucker, just look at your wrist, will you?” Kyungsoo shouts at him and Jongin looks at him in surprised. Tears are welling up on the boy’s eyes and Jongin still doesn’t understand what’s happening. 

 

“B-but I-”

 

Kyungsoo presents his right wrist to him and Jongin looks at it, wondering what’s up with Kyungsoo’s behavior. There are only 40 seconds left to his timer.  _ His soulmate should be here now. _

 

“Kyungsoo, your soulmate will be here, don’t worry.” He reassures him, thinking that maybe it’s the reason behind Kyungsoo’s sudden odd behavior. The older pulling out his hand out of his pocket is not what he expected as a reaction.

 

“Look at both our timers, idiot.” Kyungsoo mutters and Jongin’s heart starts beating fast. He doesn’t know what he expects to see, he doesn’t want to have his hopes up. But, does Kyungsoo mean what he thinks he means?

 

Jongin finally looks down at the timer on his wrist placed beside Kyungsoo’s and his eyes widen. His mouth open and close like a fish out of a fish bowl, heart beating incredibly fast, the butterfly on his stomach multiplying, and he doesn't know what to say or how to feel as he watches both the timer’s on their wrist countdown at the same time.

  
  


_ 5 _

 

He turns to look at Kyungsoo in disbelief.

 

_ 4 _

 

Kyungsoo looks back at him, his lips forming into a heart-shaped smile that Jongin loves seeing.

 

_ 3 _

 

“We’re soulmates?” Jongin asks in a shaky voice, his whole body trembling, his heart bursting in happiness.

 

_ 2 _

 

“Well, I don’t see anyone else coming to me. The people had all gathered at the center of the street,” Kyungsoo answers, smile not leaving his face, the tears welling up on his eyes were now running down his cheeks.

 

_ 1 _

 

The fireworks lights up the sky as Jongin pulls Kyungsoo towards him, minimizing the distance between them. Their face only inches away from each other, their breaths mingling in the summer air.

 

“I have always been in love with you, you know?” he confesses shyly as he places his forehead on Kyungsoo’s, leaning in to brush their noses together. Jongin is very happy.

 

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo asks, his grin widening as he feels his heart jumps in joy. Everyone around them are cheering because of the fireworks, while he’s standing here, in front of his best friend. His best friend that he knows he had always loved, too. “I think I’ve always been in love with you, too.”

 

Jongin smiles wide before finally leaning down to capture his lips in a soft kiss, drowning the screams and the sounds of the fireworks lighting up the sky. Jongin knows he doesn’t need to see it when Kyungsoo is there in his arms, lighting up his whole world. 

  
  
  


“I don’t understand how the time haven’t stopped when I already knew you even before the timer appeared,” Kyungsoo wonders loudly, sitting on the kitchen counter as he watches Jongin make hot chocolates for the both of them. His mom comes inside the room and smiles at them.

 

“Sometimes fate loves playing games, too,” Mrs. Do comments and she winks at both the boys before leaving the both of them.

 

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin, thinking how he does not regret the time he spent waiting. 

  
  


_ But it would have save them some time, though _ . He adds as an afterthought when Jongin leans down to kiss him on the crown of his head when the younger places the mug in front of him, smiling sweetly after. 


End file.
